This is a collection of news about border issues, particularly those seen from Arizona and regarding the right to keep and bear arms. Sources often include Mexican media. It's often interesting to see how different the view is from the south.
If you have comments or questions drop a line to (the name of this blog)(a)knoxcomm.com

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

AZMEX EXTRA 22-11-11

AZMEX EXTRA 22 NOV 2011

Note: In Mexico, anything and everything that looks like a .50 is ID'd as a Barrett. Ain't so.Also, the Black Hawks not all that armored if memory serves, some composite for crew seats and cockpit and that about all.AV types update me on that? Some composite we tested last year was good for .223 and 7.62x39, but marginal after 7.62x51 and up.

BTW, last info from 2010, had Mex govt. buying 55 Barrett .50's, 50 Barrett 6.8's. and 10 Barrett .338's. Not counting the ones from previous years. How many have made it to cartel hands?

These ads are published by U.S. armories in 12 cities across the country and throughout California where sale is prohibited. Milenio asked the company an opinion on these guns causing damage in Mexico, but no reply.

Sometimes the price of the world's deadliest weapon, capable of shooting down aircraft and advanced armor penetration can be a bargain: $ 4,000 in some cases. "Offer. Take your Barrett, "reads the ad on the Internet, one of many that offer .50 caliber rifles to the general public in America.

The announcement, issued by a gun shop in Virginia, takes the offer further. "No shipping charge," he promises. "Call Now" While in that country the sale of the Barrett is provided to civilians, despite its purely military applications and high capacity for destruction, without having been able to apply federal law to restrict any marketing-, Mexican incidents involving weapons such as this have lit red lights and the cases are stacked on the desks of several officials.

The story of a deadly attack in the current presidential term, with a Barrett was related to U.S. Congress people on 25 June, when on a visit to Mexico they sought to analyze the consequences of the operation fast and furious.

"We saw a .50 caliber bullet penetrated the windshield of a armored helicopter of the Federal Police," reported the committee headed by Republican Congressman Darrell Issa.

U.S. lawmakers were visiting the Command Center of the Federal Police in Iztapalapa. They showed a Black Hawk helicopter donated by Washington as part of the Merida Initiative. had rifle bullets impacts. Right up to above the pilot's head, a gaping hole showed the point of penetration of a Barrett bullet.

In an interrogation by the legislative committee Carlos Canino, added the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Explosives Snuff in the U.S. embassy in Mexico, are listed details of the attack, which occurred during two air operations in Michoacan, where helicopters of the Federal Police were attacked from the ground.

In fact the U.S. government is known as "The Mexican helicopter incident."

"The May 24, 2001, gunmen from the cartel La Familia forced a Federal Police helicopter to make an emergency landing in Michoacan," outlined in the report released in late July. "The gunmen attacked the helicopter, wounding two officers."

This is the transcript of the interview:

Canino: It was in the state of Michoacan. When the Mexican Federal Police deployed its troops by helicopter, suddenly found themselves under fire by members of The Family. I think two crew members were injured.

Questioner: Were they soldiers or policemen?

Canino; Police. Federal police. The helicopter were injured and had to withdraw (...) Now I advance to May 29. Again, the Federal Police set up another operation. It was near the state (Michoacan).

Questioner: Ok.

Canino: They were starting the landing. Family members of four helicopters attacked and I think the four helicopters received fire. Federal Police returned fire from helicopters, loaded his troops and withdrew.

The report details that while shot, the helicopter managed to withdraw to their base under its own momentum. At the end of the operation were killed 11 gunmen and found 70 rifles, tactical vests as well. But one of the guns recovered drew attention to the other: it was a .50 caliber Barrett with which a gunman fired from the ground with such skill as to give a moving target.

"It was the first that the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Explosives Snuff had seen in Mexico this type of armor in the hands of the cartels. Along with the .50 caliber Barrett rifles, ballistic vests mean a new level of sophistication in arming the cartels, "reported Canino.

The Legislative Commission agreed: "During the trip to Mexico City, on June 25, 2011, members of the Government Oversight Committee of the House of Representatives had the opportunity to inspect the damaged helicopter (...) the Barrett .50 caliber rifles provide a significant improvement in the ability of drug cartels to inflict damage and many casualties on their enemies. "

• • •

The new times have been beneficial for the company Barrett Firearms Inc., located in Tennessee. Its owner, Rony Barrett was awarded in 2006 by Ernst & Young consulting as one of the "successful entrepreneurs" of the United States. As a private entity does not have to report their income, but clearly has had a profit. Recently expanded its plant to meet market demand for their rifles.

Used by the U.S. Army for a decade, the Barrett rifle that fame has led the company to grow like wildfire: National Geographic miniseries released this year on Barrett family, whose patriarch, Ronnie, is a vowel opposes gun control and insists that the .50 caliber rifles have a market "broad legal and legitimate" sport and the community of hunters in America.

"How many murders have been committed with a .50 caliber rifle? How many of these rifles have been found at crime scenes? "Ronnie questioned in 2008, threatening the state of Hawaii with a boycott against the possibility that public sale of his rifle was banned. "It's right under the Second Amendment of the Constitution to have guns."

The company did not respond to a request (via email) to secure a position on the use given their rifles in Mexico, where, coincidentally, have been found at crime scenes.

On its website, Barrett Firearms says the sale of their rifles is limited "only to persons attached to the law." But its destructive capacity has led to a dozen U.S. cities and one state, California, prohibit their sale to civilians.

At the same time, the Department of Justice United States has detected several cases of alleged trafficking of Barretts in Mexican territory, most recently last April, when a Mexican citizen of Texas acquired, in conspiracy with a former narcotics officer in Oklahoma, two .50 caliber rifles, one of which managed to cross into territory for Nuevo Laredo.

Another case is linked to a shooting incident on March 8, 2008, when the Mexican army troops clashed with gunmen in a residence in southern Chihuahua. A soldier and six drug traffickers were killed while three soldiers and a policeman were injured.

According to reports at the time, a tank, a patrol and several vehicles were shot high power. In the safe house found a .50 caliber Barrett rifle, which was given by the Secretary of National Defense to the Office of Alcohol, Firearms and Explosives Snuff for analysis.

The trail led to the ATF to an unexpected source: it was purchased at a Texas gun shop, months before, by John Shipley, an FBI agent in El Paso, who sold it illegally after Mexican hitmen.